Furry Little Problem
by SoundWriter
Summary: The Marauders discover Remus's secret firsthand at the Shrieking Shack. What happens next? My first fanfiction, so please rate and review!


Furry Little Problem

Sirius was the first to know something was off about Remus's disappearances, and no, it wasn't that someone in his family seemed to fall deathly ill every month. Or that he always came back from wherever he was looking like he had been to hell and back. All Sirius knew was that he was lying.

"Sorry guys, I have to go now. Aunt Linda got sick," said Remus tiredly.

"Really? I thought she died in February," replied Sirius, arching a dark eyebrow skeptically. He was determined to catch Remus in his lie.

"No, that was Aunt Megan. My family has really bad luck, I guess," the smaller boy backtracked with a shrug. Sirius had to hand it to him. He was an excellent liar. If Sirius weren't a Black, there would be no way he could have guessed.

As soon as the tired-looking boy shut the door behind him, Sirius sprung into action. "Remus is lying," he announced to the other second years in the room, James and Peter. They nodded. Even though they were horrible liars themselves and completely lacked the ability to read people, Aunt Linda had died twice too many times.

"Wanna follow him?" James asked eagerly, holding up his prized invisibility cloak. Sirius and Peter grinned. Within thirty seconds, the three boys were in the cloak and out the door, only shortly behind Remus.

"He's going to Madam Pomfrey?" Peter whispered, dark beady eyes watching as the weary boy stepped into the infirmary.

"No, Pete, he's going to Diagon Alley," said James and Sirius in perfect synchronization, with identical eye rolls. They glanced at each other and grinned.

"Are you sure you can go by yourself?" asked Madam Pomfrey, warm brown eyes laced with worry. Remus looked at the vomiting, purple, and sneezing students around him.

"I can handle it," he said shortly. The three boys stared. This was not the kind, mellow Remus Lupin they had come to know. The tawny-haired boy in question began walking towards the Shrieking Shack outside of Hogsmeade, which was rumored to be haunted. A vicious tree with large, swinging branches guarded the entrance.

"Why in Merlin is he going there?" whispered James, glasses glinting. Sirius shushed him, and the three watched as Remus lifted a stick and, ducking the wild branches, pressed a knot on the enormous tree. It froze, and shivering, the thin boy walked inside, ignorant that he was being closely followed. Tripping over their shoes, the boys pursued him through the dark tunnel and into a small room. The three of them gasped.

The room looked like a vicious, bloody tornado had hit it. There were long scratches on the walls and floors, and ruby colored blood stained the room. Shards of glass were also littered on the ground. This was too much for Sirius and James.

"Bloody Merlin, Remus," Sirius spoke quietly. "What is this?" With a tug, Peter yanked off the invisibility cloak, leaving the three of them awkwardly exposed to Remus's disbelieving amber eyes. The two other boys just smacked their foreheads at Peter's foolishness.

"I'll tell you later, I swear. You guys have to leave now, it's for your own safety…" Remus's voice trailed off with a slight tremble.

"Think we're gonna leave before we find out the truth?" Sirius smirked. "Think again, mate." Three pairs of eyes, silver, hazel, and brown, scrutinized the nervous boy. He had to admit it eventually… The full moon's light shone on them as they waited.

Suddenly, Remus's hands began to shake like mad, and huge, sharp claws erupted from his once-neatly trimmed fingernails. Hair sprouted from all over his rapidly growing body, and there was a loud crack as the too-small bones snapped. Screams turned to howls as Remus transformed into a fully-fledged werewolf. "Go….NOW!" the wolf-boy managed to growl before the animal took over.

The wolf lunged at the terrified boys, growling. Peter, rat-like as always scurried away with minor cuts to the chest, but Sirius's face was gashed and bleeding horribly, while a loud crunch determined James's ribs were goners. Barely breathing, the boys managed to drag themselves to the hospital wing, where they then fell unconscious.

The next morning, the two of them awoke to find that they were bandaged up all over and in warm, soft beds. Across from them lay Remus Lupin, sporting several broken bones, scratches, bruises, and a swollen black eye. Sirius, despite the tremendous pain it caused him, somehow managed to crack a weak smile. "So, Remus," he said in a voice barely above a whisper, "how was Aunt Laura?"

"Linda, actually. Auntie Linda," he said weakly. And then he smiled.

James and Peter, who were also in hospital beds, howled with hysterical laughter, which turned into gasps for air from James's still mending ribs and lungs.

Remus's faint grin was short-lived. "You don't want to be my friends anymore, do you?" he asked, tears glistening in the eye that wasn't swollen shut. "It's alright. I wouldn't want to be friends with a…werewolf…either. Or a liar. Just please, please, don't tell anyone!" cried the small boy.

The others were confused. "Why wouldn't we want to be your friends?" asked James. "You just have a… furry little problem… that's all."

Sirius grinned, "Besides, we're all messed up. I'm too awesome for my own good, Pete is Pete, and James is OWLE. You know, Obsessed With Lily Evans." James scowled.

"Really?" asked Remus. The boys nodded, and light broke through the castle.


End file.
